“Behold, I come”—the darkness lightens
Above all sorrow and all fear;
Beyond the clouds the Daystar brightens,
And our deliverance is near;
The groaning earth awaits the hour
When all the wrongs of time are past,
And clothed with glory and with power,
The King of kings shall reign at last.
—Annie Johnson Flint
It was my observation while reading the first few chapters of Ezekiel that all of the sequencing happened in a set of visions. Now, in the passage that is the subject for this essay, Ezekiel is coming out of the visions and re-engaging with real life. He seemed startled, not anxious to leave the vision, and even grumpy about the closure.
Ezekiel 3: 12-15 says — Then the Spirit lifted me up, and I heard behind me a loud rumbling sound as the glory of the Lord rose from the place where it was standing. It was the sound of the wings of the living creatures brushing against each other and the sound of the wheels beside them, a loud rumbling sound. The Spirit then lifted me up and took me away, and I went in bitterness and in the anger of my spirit, with the strong hand of the Lord on me. I came to the exiles who lived at Tel Aviv near the Kebar River. And there, where they were living, I sat among them for seven days—deeply distressed [NIV].
I think that this transition from Vision to Real-life is a magnified version of what it is like to go on a weekend Christian retreat that is non-stop teaching and prayer. It is fun, interesting and completely engaging. Then just as quickly as it began, it stops and we are reunited with our normal routines. This is a hint of what Ezekiel was feeling. He is lifted up and he hears the angels making noise and they brush their wings together. The noise is deafening.
The angels crowded about to see the wisdom of God packaged up like a mantle and placed upon Ezekiel. Their noise is a sound like clapping or tapping a table with a spoon at a meeting. They are crowding in to get a good view. All this was in place to reinforce the importance of the commissioning of Ezekiel. Surely, he was also hearing them say something like blessed be the glory of the Lord God from his throne. We praise God from the heavens, we all his angels praise him for the wisdom displayed (implied in Psalms 148:1-2)
Sometimes, when we know the depth of the calling, we may feel some reluctance. In this case, I do not think he was disobedient to the heavenly vision, not shrinking from the work, as Jonah, but was not at all pleased with the task. He knows the audience will be exasperated by the message and will be very agitated. So, he resists but has no choice. He is going.
Perhaps he was aware of the hard task that Jeremiah had undertook at Jerusalem. Perhaps he was thinking it would be just as difficult. Perhaps he knew the opposition Jeremiah met with, how he was abused by the locals, and what poor treatment he endured, and all to no real change. So he wonders – must I experience the same? His life as a captive was tough enough; but now he was facing the double whammy – the captive prophet to a captive nation scenario. His self-doubt overcame common sense. He buckled emotionally and became bitter.
What did God do? God picked up Ezekiel by the knap of the neck and placed him square in the middle of the rebellious nation. The hand of the Lord was strong. Like a firm parent helping a child overcome obstacles that seem like a mountain to the child but a mere speedbump to the parent. God prevailed and compelled Ezekiel to move forward. God reminded Ezekiel he was well prepared.
And so, God gently placed the pouting child in his place of ministry and provided time to digest his fear and his grief. God helped him to heal and then begin his work. Those who God prepares for a hard job are often humbled greatly before the task begins. This is how he draws us close. I choose Jesus.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight
1 Praise the Lord, my soul;
all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
2 Praise the Lord, my soul,
and forget not all his benefits—
3 who forgives all your sins
and heals all your diseases,
4 who redeems your life from the pit
and crowns you with love and compassion,
5 who satisfies your desires with good things
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
God, Creator of all things,
guide our hearts with your grace;
renew us by your Spirit,
and keep us in your peace.Drive away the darkness within us,
cleanse us from every sin;
let your light shine upon us,
and dwell within our hearts.
The world with its beauty and charms
Comes to me with wide open arms;
Its pleasures allure to embrace
But will end in pain and disgrace.
There is better beauty beyond
That I will enjoy before long;
The most beautiful and the best
Is the One who gives peace and rest.
—Perry Boardman
It was my observation while reading Ecclesiastes that Solomon was clear in Ecclesiastes 8:9-13 that we should avoid engaging with tyrannical and oppressive people. Why? In the end, the righteous succeed and evil men will diminish. He also talked about the need for a speedy trial and resolution in court cases.
Solomon said in Ecclesiastes 8:9-13 — All this I saw, as I applied my mind to everything done under the sun. There is a time when a man lords it over others to his own hurt. Then too, I saw the wicked buried—those who used to come and go from the holy place and receive [men’s] praise in the city where they did this. This too is meaningless. When the sentence for a crime is not quickly carried out, people’s hearts are filled with schemes to do [more] wrong. Although a wicked person who commits a hundred crimes may live a long time, I know it will go better with those who fear God, who are reverent before him. Yet because the wicked do not fear God, it will not go well with them, their days will not lengthen like a shadow [NIV].
Solomon made it clear he had observed many rulers that ruled over others even to their own hurt. They were put into power to administrate justice for their people, to preserve public peace, and to protect the people from aggressive outsiders. Yet, they used power to hurt, take property, freedom, and justice away from the people to the benefit of the few. Their pride and greed led to their decline in power; bringing the troubles they imposed on others back to themselves. They had no respect for God or God’s people.
He saw these rulers and potentates come and go from the temple, never being held accountable for their actions. They continued with the behavior all their life in office, died and were buried with the honor of the office they held (not the honor they carried because of their actions). Their vanity, wealth and power vanished with the whiff of their death. Their life was considered to be meaningless. Nothing was remembered – neither the good things nor the bad things. They became obscure. Their bodies buried in the dust, vanishing into dust. God had the last word. Death put them in their place.
Solomon has sufficient experience and foresight to understand that some leaders, placed into power, would do improper things one hundred times over and yet God’s response would be deferred, patience would be applied to the situation much beyond the range of human kindness. This would add to the leader’s days, and then, at the same time – God told us to hang tough – He is in control. We are not to become discouraged or demoralized. You may recall the song lyric – Be happy! That is God’s counsel. Focus on the one true living God, not some random human who is out of control. The message of God for people who are enduring poor leadership is found in Ecclesiastes 3:14. He says — I know that whatever God does, it shall be forever. Nothing can be added to it, and nothing can be taken from it. God does it, that men should fear before Him [NIV].
We are given the fruit of the Spirit for a reason; our character is shaped by each of the fruits. The notion of fearing God can be easily defined as ‘respecting God’ and his plans. We know his eye is always on us, even when things are falling apart, His eye is on us. In turn, we are to keep our eye on the one true living God (eternal things), not on the things around us (temporal things). If we stand in awe of his majesty, trust his judgement in our lives, and focus our life on walking with God, we will find peace.
When we are flat on the ground, fully at the mercy of proud oppressors then we find the true meaning of fearing God. We stay focused, submit to God’s will, find our way through the trouble, and find a place of respite to reel in our thoughts. We learn through these experiences they cannot interrupt our communion with God. We know it will be well with our soul when we respect the things of God. I choose Jesus.